With State Fair of Texas Canceled, What Happens to OU-Texas?
A huge piece of the 2020 college football puzzle was lost on Tuesday when officials canceled the State Fair of Texas.
The upcoming season was already in danger due to the Coronavirus pandemic. But as cases are spiking again in North Texas, shutting down the month-long exposition — one of the biggest money-makers in the world and the stage on which the annual Oklahoma-Texas game plays out — was the next logical step.
So what does it mean for the Red River Rivalry?
“If football moves forward, the games will be played in the Cotton Bowl as scheduled, despite the cancellation of the 2020 Fair,” State Fair spokeswoman Karissa Condoianis told the Dallas Morning News. She said the game itself is “not our decision” and will be decided by the “NCAA, [athletic] conferences, schools, government,” and other entities.
OU athletic director Joe Castiglione said he hopes the game will still be played in Dallas — but will stay flexible.
“We understand and respect the decision made by the State Fair of Texas and acknowledge that it was an extremely difficult one,” Castiglione said. “Our hope remains that we can play the OU-Texas game at the Cotton Bowl, but obviously every aspect of our season requires constant monitoring and planning. The best thing all of us can do at this time is closely follow CDC guidelines to reduce the spread of the virus.”
The other CDC — Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte — told the Austin American-Statesman that the game would not be impacted by the shutdown of the fair.
The game could be played as usual, just without the state fairgoers. It could be played without any fans at all. Or perhaps the game will be moved to another site — AT&T Stadium in Arlington, perhaps, or even on campus.
The OU-Texas game has been played at the state fair in Dallas every year since resuming in 1929.
It was played on campus in 1922 (Norman) and 1923 (Austin) before taking a five-year sabbatical.
Last year the State Fair of Texas drew 2.5 million people, according to the Morning News. According to a study by the University of North Texas, it generates nearly a half-billion dollars to the state’s economy. It hasn’t been shut down since World War II.
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